Twelve Angry Men coming to The Phoenix Stage Company

I got a call from Ed Bassett, one of the partners at The Phoenix Stage, about an upcoming show that they are adding to the schedule. Emphasis on “upcoming” because the performance dates are only ten days away. Season ticket holders like myself appreciated the phone call and will undoubtedly make an effort to see it. We know that everything that the Phoenix has presented in the past year has been well-worth attending. Here are the details:

Phoenix Stage Company proudly presents a staged reading of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men, a play by Sherman L. Shergel adapted from the television show by Reginald Rose.

A 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. “He doesn’t stand a chance,” mutters the guard as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room. It looks like an open-and-shut case — until one of the jurors begins opening the others’ eyes to the facts. The jurors’ final verdict and how they reach it add up to a fine, mature piece of dramatic literature.

The cast includes Jim Buffone (Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie), Raymond Esposito, Chris Evans (the gentleman caller in The Glass Menagerie), John Fabiani, Patrick Hearn (Floyd Spinner in Love, Sex and the IRS), Dan Porri (Jamie in the second cast of The Last Five Years), John Quinn, Paul Revaz, Mike Ritts (Bleacher Bums), Jonathan Ross (Bleacher Bums and director of I Hate Hamlet) and Jeff Savage.  The director is Ian Diedrich (most recently a wonderful Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Warner Theater). All plays mentioned above were presented during the first season at the Phoenix Stage unless otherwise noted.

This is billed as a Reader’s Theater Presentation so I expect that there will be open scripts. I remember this play from high school as being pretty powerful. There are two performances only: July 9 and 10, 2011 Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. All seats are $10 (about half the price of a normal ticket) and the box office phone is (203) 632-8546. The theater is located at 686 Rubber Avenue. Their web site is http://www.phoenixstagecompany.org/ Contact the box office to reserve tickets Wednesday through Saturday 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Credit cards are now being accepted at the door…bonus! I will be attending the matinee on Sunday; I hope to see you there!